News & Match Reports

Brent 2-3 Croydon

London Girls' Inter-District League, 10th March 2018

Brent’s Under-11 girls’ team produced their best performance of the season when staging a dramatic fight back against top-of-the-table Croydon.

Brent got into the game from the kick-off. Apollonia Margetson gained possession in midfield and passed to skipper Guissepina Carnevale who dribbled past two defenders and hit a fierce shot which was well saved.

Croydon then went on the attack and the solid Brent defense of Sophie Kew and Keely Dibley–Dias combined well to break up several attacks. Keeper Milly-May Blue made a superb reflex save but Croydon took the lead, nudging the ball home in the goalmouth scramble that followed. The big and powerful Croydon team started to get the upper hand and extended their lead after 20 minutes with a well worked goal, giving ‘keeper Blue no chance.

Brent brought on Maya Rosenberg and she made an instant impact, tenaciously tackling and winning the ball from a much bigger opponent in midfield and releasing Carnevale whose perfect pass found Scout Waddington who smashed the ball into the top right hand corner to make it 2-1 on the stroke of half time.

Buoyed by the goal, Brent started the second half strongly and having scored Waddington turned provider when straight from the kick off she won the ball, drove forward and laid the ball to Laibha Mir whose long range shot sailed into the roof of the net. That made it 2-2 and very much ‘game on’.

Croydon had only conceded one goal all season prior to this match and were visibly rattled by the relentless pressing and tackling of Brent. It was end to end stuff as both teams fought for the winner and with a few minutes remaining Croydon found the net after a melee in the box. 3-2. Brent continued to fight, pushing the unbeaten Croydon all the way to the final whistle but the match ended 3-2. It was a superb and spirited performance from the Brent team. Coach Chris Ampofo: “The team are improving individually and as a team in every game. They were absolutely immense today. They can take confidence from today as they showed they can compete against anyone”.

Brent 5-4 Alexandra Park

Capital Girls' League, 17th February 2018

Brent’s Under-10 Girls’ tasted victory in the Capital Girls’ League for the first time, just edging out Alexandra Park in an all-action encounter. The borough girls started brightly with Molly O’Connor scoring a superb hat-trick within 10 minutes.

Alexandra Park then staged a comeback and despite excellent defending from Maia Fox and two good saves by Georgie Stone in goal, the first half ended 3-2.

The second half was an end-to-end contest. O’Connor extended Brent’s lead with a powerful drive to make the score 4-2 but Alexandra Park piled on the pressure and levelled the score at 4-4.

Kate Fox and Olivia MacArthur began to get the upper hand in midfield and with minutes left Kathleen Santos Ferreira lost her marker to smash the ball into the net to score the winner with the game ending 5-4.

After the match, Brent Coach Patricia Taylor said: “I want to congratulate both teams on a brilliant match played in a brilliant spirit. I’m very proud if the players. They worked very hard for each other out there today”.

Lewisham 5-2 Brent

London Girls' Inter-District League, 10th February 2018

In a classic ‘game of two halves’, the Brent Under-11 Girls’ squad showed great fighting spirit away to Lewisham.

Despite a superb display from Milly-May Blue in goal and good defending from Sophie Kew and captain Keely Dibley-Dias, Lewisham got the upper hand and went into half time with a 4-0 advantage. Brent regrouped and the second half was a completely different story.

Brent coach Chris Ampofo observed: “At half time we said ‘let’s see if we can win the second half’ and the players responded magnificently”. Brent scored their first goal in the London League thanks to a good team move. Blue rolled the ball to Maria Canevale who slipped the ball to Lizzy Ulusele; she found Matilda Easterby in midfield. A neat ball was pinged to Guissepina Carnevale on the left wing. Canevale turned her marker inside out before curling the ball into the top right corner of the net. The tide of the game had completely changed and Brent launched a series of attacks. First, striker Natalia Camara fired just wide. Then debutante Kathleen Santos Ferreira had a good effort saved. Brent forced 4 successive corners as they fought for the all-important next goal, then against the run of play Lewisham launched a counter and scored with a shot which gave the excellent Blue no chance in goal.

Falling 5-1 behind spurred Brent on even more and their dominance continued. Kew and Dibbley- Dias were so dominant in defence that Lewisham did not have another shot. The goal of the game came 10 minutes from time. Kew released Maria Caravale on the right. A quick switch found sister Guissepina who jinked inside her marker before unleashing a brilliant chip over the giant Lewisham keeper. The goal had even the Lewisham fans applauding, Brent continued to have the upper hand but time ran out and the match finished with the score unchanged.

Chris Ampofo said: “I am so proud of the girls. They really battled hard. They are improving with every game. The defending was excellent in the second half and the two goals were sensational.”